OPA congratulates all the winners below, and thanks them and all the poets who entered for sharing their work.
Poet’s Choice — Joe Wilkins, Judge
1st Place: “Don’t Bother the Flowers” by Sherri Levine, Portland, OR
2nd Place: “In Defense of Loneliness” by Donna Prinzmetal, Portland, OR
3rd Place: “We tried to do it all—” by Susanne Twight-Alexander, Eugene, OR
1st Honorable Mention: “Knots” by David Southward, Milwaukee, WI
2nd Honorable Mention: “How we know” by Lois Leveen, Portland, OR
3rd Honorable Mention: “In Rome” by Don Hogle, New York, NY
4th Honorable Mention: “Mr. Stagmeyer’s Typing Class” by Jay Schroder, Medford, OR
Members Only — Pepper Trail, Judge
1st Place: “Rest & Recuperation, 1970” by Keli Osborn, Eugene, OR
2nd Place: “I Sit Astride the Globe” by Stella Guillory, Vancouver, WA
3rd Place: “Letting Go of the Landline” by Stephanie Striffler, Portland, OR
Honorable Mention: “Erasure Poem #72” by Shawn Aveningo Sanders, Beaverton, OR
Honorable Mention: “Souvenir” by Nancy Flynn, Portland, OR
Honorable Mention: “Repast” by Donna Prinzmetal, Portland, OR
[Honorable mentions equally ranked]
New Poets — Lisa Allen Ortiz, Judge
1st Place: “Disturbance Theory” by Michael G. Smith, Santa Fe, NM
2nd Place: “Cosmonaut’s Lament” by Genevieve DeGuzman, Portland, OR
3rd Place: “I Went to School Today” by James Merrill, Keizer, OR
1st Honorable Mention: “Memorial Day” by Joanna Rose, Portland, OR
2nd Honorable Mention: “Fostering a Better World” by Jennifer Rood, Grants Pass, OR
3rd Honorable Mention: “After Midnight” by Stephanie Striffler, Portland, OR
Traditional Form–Villanelle — Judith H. Montgomery, Judge
1st Place: “Politics” by Catherine McGuire, Sweet Home, OR
2nd Place: “Storm Clouds” by John McPherson, Portland, OR
3rd Place: “Imagining Mrs. R Who Died at 114, according to her obituary” by Kathleen McClung,
San Francisco, CA
1st Honorable Mention: “Creation Story” by Toni Hanner, Eugene, OR
2nd Honorable Mention: “Salt-and-Pepper Villanelle” by Danny Earl Simmons, Lebanon, OR
3rd Honorable Mention: “Detective Chief Inspectors” by Dan Kaufman, Central Point, OR
Theme–Current Events — Shaindel Beers, Judge
1st Place: “Another Perspective on the Nuclear Codes” by Catherine McGuire, Sweet Home, OR
2nd Place: “Off Old Hwy. 99” by Jennifer Rood, Grants Pass, OR
3rd Place: “The Greatest Show on Earth” by Linda Barnes, Medford, OR
1st Honorable Mention: “Who Will Be Sent” by Laurel Benjamin, Albany, CA
2nd Honorable Mention: “A Thousand Resting Stars” by Alan Contreras, Eugene, OR
3rd Honorable Mention: “A Commanding Position in the World” by Susan Whitney, Eugene, OR